1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to techniques and apparatus for performing multi-modal medical (diagnostic) imaging scans of a patient, including but not limited to Nuclear Medicine systems, CT (Computerized Tomography) systems, general X-Ray systems, Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) systems, ultrasound systems, sonograph systems, and the combination thereof. Each of these systems may be said to have a single mode or modality.
2. Description of the Related Art
CT (Computerized Tomography) systems are well known x-ray based medical imaging systems, and well used by the medical establishment to analyze injuries and diseases. Likewise, Nuclear Medicine (NM) gamma-ray based medical imaging systems are well known tomographic imaging systems, and used by the medical establishment to analyze injuries and diseases. Furthermore, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems are well known tomographic imaging systems, and well used by the medical establishment to analyze injuries and diseases. CT systems typically function by irradiating a patient with X-rays and recording the images generated thereby. Nuclear medicine systems typically function by recording the images from radiation such as gamma rays which are emitted by the patient. The patient emits this radiation as a result of irradiated material introduced into the patient""s body prior to the nuclear medicine scan. In all of these systems, the act of acquiring data may be referred to as a scan.
Unfortunately, any one of these systems typically occupies nearly a whole room, and these systems are often controlled by different departments in a medical group such as a hospital (such as Radiology as opposed to Nuclear Medicine departments). Moreover, none of these systems are typically designed with any consideration for integration with other systems, so CT, NM, and MRI systems almost always are separated by significant distance if they are in the same building, and are often on separate floors.
However, integrating the data from a NM system with that from a CT or MRI system, or integrating the information from any two of these systems may lead to useful additional information, thus enhancing a medical staff member""s ability to diagnose a patient""s injuries or diseases, and determine a course of treatment. At this time, integration of such data is commonly handled by software programs, which must attempt to account for differences in position of the patient during data-gathering activities of each system. Since the patient must often move voluntarily from one system to another, or be helped in such a move, the patient is almost inevitably in a different position for a measurement or data gathering session in a second system from the position of the patient in the measurement session in a first system. Even if the patient is placed in the same position for two separate scans, the acts of moving into and out of that position typically cause the patient""s organs to shift locations relative to each other. This change in position or change in internal position of organs introduces errors and complicates the process of comparing the data gathered from the two systems. The combination of physiological and functional image data for accurate diagnosis requires that the functional image be closely aligned with the physiological. This means that the relative distances between internal organs must be preserved. Any movement of the patient between scans makes such alignment impractical.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a system including a CT system, an NM system, a NM bed operatively coupled to the NM system, and a CT bed operatively coupled to the CT system, with the CT bed coupled to the NM bed when the CT system is used for dual mode imaging.